Tian Tan Park and Jingshan Park

Today we went to the Temple of Heaven Park (Tian Tan Park) and Jingshan Park. The two parks are quite different. You can read more of the visits if you continue reading.

Tian Tan Park

Tian Tan Park, or the Temple of Heaven Park, is an UNESCO site. Central to the park are the Temple for Good Harvest, the Echo Wall and the Round Altar. All of these sides can be visited, next to the park, by paying an additional fee. If you buy a through ticket, the total price is 35Y. If you only pay for the entrance of the park, and decide later on to visit the sites, the total will become 48Y.

Temple for Good Harvest

The first attraction we visited was the Temple for Good Harvest. It is a round temple, surrounded by an altar and multiple halls. It is quite a beautiful site, something the Chinese also find; there were several photo shoots going on. As always, to view the inside of the temple, you have to fight your way to the window.

After the temple, we decided to walk away from the central axis and walk in the direction of the Pavilion of Longevity. As it is not located on the central axis, it was quite calm and serene over there. The pavilion comprises two smaller pavilions which are intertwined.

Also somewhat off the central axis is the Palace of Abstinence, or the fasting palace. This palace has a moat which is no longer used and filled with flowers. It is quite nice to see.

After visiting all "side"-attractions, we continued visiting the main ones. First we entered the Round Altar, which is a large space with in the center an altar. This altar comprises multiple levels. In the center, on the highest level there is a center stone on which all Chinese people wanted to stand.

Last is the Echo Wall. The Echo Wall is the wall which surrounds the Imperial Vault. However, due to some construction work, the wall was partially blocked.

Jingshan Park

Jingshan

Jingshan is a lovely little park, located in the north of the Forbidden City. As it is located on hill, it gives a marvelous overview of the Forbidden City. But beware, it is quite a climb to the top. At the end of this post, two panoramas are attached of views from the top. The first one is a view on Beihai, while the second is a view on the Forbidden City. As the second is quite large, please scroll from left to right to see the full photo. The rest of the park is filled with trees and flowers, and one can stroll about for an hour or two.

Pavilion of Longevity

Panorama of Beihai, as seen from Jingshan

Panorama of Forbidden City, as seen from Jingshan